Life and Death in Assynt's Past

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Media release, for immediate release from Wednesday 14 September 2011

An archaeological dig has revealed a level of sophistication of neolithic stone masonry rarely seen in Scotland for that period. The dig of a 6000 year-old chambered cairn at Loch Borralan, near Ledmore, in Assynt, Sutherland, has unearthed huge stones showing clear signs of how they were quarried and dressed, as well as the tools used for working them.

Gordon Sleight, projects leader for Historic Assynt, the community organisation running the archaeology project said, ‘This neolithic chambered cairn is revealing that the people who lived in Assynt six thousand years ago were expert stone masons. They also probably had better weather than we do!’

John Barber, the lead archaeologist at the dig at Loch Borralan said, ‘We have found evidence for stone quarrying and dressing of the faces of the large syenite boulders in the chambers. This is rare in Scotland. We have also recovered a number of pieces of quartzite used as quarrying and stone working tools. We can now see that the chamber was built directly onto the bedrock after its surface had been pounded relatively flat.’

The builders of the cairn were clearly capable of massive engineering feats. The cairn’s structure has been revealed as involving an outer wall in a stepped formation, like a wedding-cake, with an entrance involving significant complexity. John Barber said, ‘The area of the assumed passage contains a large number of exceptionally large stones which seem to derive from an elaborate façade over the entrance, details of which are still being unravelled.’

The help of geologists is being enlisted, as there are huge portal stones at the mouth of the passage of a different kind of rock from the rest of the building.

The cairn was previously excavated by Alexander Curle, in 1909, and unfortunately he cleared all of the deposits inside. At that time, there were no means of dating finds, so he would have thrown away soil deposits that today would be able to reveal valuable information. However, the tumbled passage into the cairn may have escaped his attentions.

John Barber said, ‘It had been assumed that the chamber was entered by a 5 metre long passage, however emerging evidence suggests that we may have an undisturbed antechamber. However, although Neolithic remains may be in there, they are not currently accessible.’

Alongside the excavation work, the project includes an experimental pottery process. Local clays have been dug up and made into simple pots, and there will be a Neolithic-style pit firing on 24 September, in order to compare the results with excavated pottery.

The cairn excavation is one of three digs being organised by Historic Assynt and funded by Historic Scotland, Leader and the Lottery. Work at Clachtoll broch is now complete. The current excavation at Loch Borralan, Ledmore will continue until 17 September.  The third dig will be of a pre-Clearance longhouse in Glenleraig (26 September until 8 October). Visitors are welcome to the digs at any time between 9am and 5pm and there will be someone who can show them round. Volunteers are most welcome.  No experience is required and there are things to do for all abilities.

For more information and photographs, contact:

Gordon Sleight, Phone: 01571 855207, Email: gordon@gsleight.freeserve.co.uk

or see the dig diary at http://www.aocarchaeology.com/ldap/